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8
| Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle | www.mn.catholic.org.au
NINE HIGH SCHOOLS have been
partnered with eight of the Hunter's
leading advanced manufacturing companies
in an innovative career development
program called "Manufacturing Education"
(ME) for young people in high schools.
The program includes students from
St Paul's High School Booragul (partner
Thales Australia) and San Clemente High
School Mayfield (partner RPC Technologies).
The other manufacturing companies are
Varley, BAE Systems, Forgacs, Ampcontrol,
Custom Fluid Power and Marciano
Industries.
These industry partnerships are providing
students with authentic industry related
examples of how
mathematics, science and
technology are applied in
advanced manufacturing.
They also have the
opportunity to gain
relevant work experience,
career advice and school-
based traineeships.
The ME Program aims
to provide interested
students with solid advice, help with subject
choices and hands on experience to help
them shape a career path in advanced
manufacturing. Feedback from students
indicates that the ME Program is delivering
real value. One student who has completed
the Program wrote, "The Program really
helped bridge the gap between school and
the 'real world', confirming my decision to
go down the path of engineering."
The Program will increase the number of
students with appropriate school subject
choices and knowledge of career and
educational pathways. Students will have
mentors and a better understanding of
advanced manufacturing as an industry and
as a worthwhile career path.
Experiences will range from working with
Australia's leading manufacturing firms
including enterprises which support the
Australian Defence Force.
On 23 August the partnership between St
Paul's High School and Thales Australia
was formalised with the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding to cement
the objectives of the ME Program.
Careers Advisor Craig McLoughlin said, "A
partnership with such a large international
company is a great opportunity for St
Paul's students to get an inside look at
big business. Five of our teachers spent
three days at Garden Island with Thales
management. This immersion enabled
them to return to St Paul's with a very clear
idea of how curriculum can match industry
practice. In Term 4 we will send over fifty
students to Garden Island. At the end of
the year we will run mock
interviews. Students will
be invited to apply for jobs
at Thales and applicants
will be interviewed by
Thales and St Paul's staff."
San Clemente High School
has entered into a similar
partnership with RPC
Technologies. The RPC
Technologies Group is a
formidable force in the areas of Defence
Equipment Fabrication and Rehabilitation,
Water and Wastewater, Power, Mining and
Processes, Aerospace and Marine and
Transport and Communications.
All diocesan secondary schools will benefit
from the ME Program through the sharing
of curriculum material through the website
where a school Toolkit is being developed.
Schools will also be invited to participate in
a competition integrating instrumentation
technology into the curriculum. This tool
has been developed by Sage Didactic, a
partner with All Saints Trade Training Centre
and Newcastle Catholic Schools Trade
Training Centre.
Please visit www.meprogram.com.au
Glenda O'Brien is the Catholic Schools
Office Trade Training Project Leader and
Vocational Education Officer.
"G IRLS, HAVE YOU ever looked at your
hair and thought too straight, too curly,
too long, too short, wrong colour? Imagine
losing all of these things, every single hair
on your body.
"This is a condition called alopecia; it can
make you lose all your hair. I have alopecia."
These words by Stephanie Gamble, a Year
7 student at San Clemente High School
Mayfield, have led to a remarkable event at
the school late last term.
Stephanie addressed the school assembly
-- a daunting undertaking for a Year 7
student at any time -- and challenged her
peers and teachers to raise awareness of
alopecia, and at the same time raise funds
to research the condition. If a thousand
dollars was raised, Stephanie pledged to
shave her hair and challenged principal
Tony Kelly to do the same.
The school raised a staggering $4000 and
'the great shave' was, in Tony Kelly's words,
"an event that captured the hearts and
imagination of a community". There was a
real sense of solidarity in students' support
of Stephanie and their principal, and their
new looks were enthusiastically applauded.
Several members of the Gamble family
were present, and in a few weeks time, they
too will willingly lose their hair in order to
contribute further to funds for research.
Stephanie's mother Fran said, with tears in
her eyes, that she was "incredibly proud"
of her daughter's courage and optimism.
As Tony Kelly told the school community,
"What we've done is freed Stephanie to
be able to come to school and feel safe
and comfortable."
Please visit www.aaaf.org.au
EDUCATION
e
school raised a
staggering $4000 and
Before
To make a booking or chat further
please call Fr Chris McPhee msc
M 0419 149 793 or P 4630 0127 | St Mary's Towers, Douglas Park NSW
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c8945580-4Oct
A good
hair day at
San Clemente
Diocesan Schools in
partnership with industry By GLENDA O'BRIEN
"Curriculum can
match industry
practice."
By TRACEY EDSTEIN
Stephanie addresses the assembly.